After the RF Power business of NXP Semiconductors N.V. was acquired by China's Jianguang Asset Management Co Ltd (JAC Capital), the newly created firm Ampleon of Nijmegen, The Netherlands has extended its portfolio of gallium nitride (GaN) RF power transistors based on a 0.5um HEMT process technology. Comprising 10W, 30W, 50W and 100W devices, over ten transistors are currently available suitable for multiple applications such as drivers up to C-band, through to 100W and 200W push-pull packages for use in final stages up to S-band.
Housed in a compact and thermally stable ceramic package, the whole CLF1G family of devices is suitable for use in a broad range of applications that need to meet specific requirements of SWaP (size, weight and power).
"We are investing heavily in both LDMOS and GaN technology, as we see GaN gaining momentum beyond the A&D market, into areas such as cellular infrastructure," says Thijs Tullemans, senior director of marketing of Ampleon's Multi Market business unit. "Indeed, we see significant growth opportunities in both market segments but, with respect to GaN, the technology offers us the opportunity to broaden our product offering to our customers, and we will be releasing more in-depth news on the GaN front in the coming months," he adds.
Optimized for best-in-class linearity, power efficiency and broadband power performance, Ampleon's GaN devices are available with electrical models, reference designs and demonstration boards. Typical applications include commercial aviation and radar, aerospace and defence systems, and broadband solutions.
Devices available include the CLF1G0035S-50, a broadband 50W amplifier capable of operating from DC through to 3.5GHz that is designed for operation up to 50V and having voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR, i.e. ruggedness) capabilities of 10:1. The 100W devices have just been released, and Ampleon is currently sampling other types for mass production during early 2016.
